NGE:  Your Happy Years
by Gregg Landsman
Summary: In a slight variation on the effects of Free Will, the Angels attack in 2021 instead of 2015.  This is not to say people are unprepared.  It's just that things tend to go off track when the Scenario is sort of left to ferment.
1. Chapter 1

Evangelion is the property and ownership of Gainax and Hideki Anno. I do not own it, as if I tried to, Rei would find me.

A mutation of a plot tribble on the Spacebattles forum. Enjoy.

...

* * *

It would be wrong to say he did not see this sort of thing coming in the first place. It wouldn't. He's known this sort of thing would happen, based on the logic of the people he knows and the people he is related to. It had to happen eventually, with the distinct possibility that he would have to take one for the team.

"Hold on tight. Think of Christmas."

Twenty years is a good amount of time. He doesn't regret much. Maybe he wanted to finish college before dying, but he's pretty sure he's going to die now without a real say in the matter. Clenching his eyes shut, the twenty year old young man with brown hair, blue eyes, and a complexion which is normally quite nice but now pale from fear and horror waits for the end.

It started three days ago. His studies in Music Theory at Tokyo-2 U were interrupted by a note from his father. Just the word 'Come.' Apparently his advisor got a similar note that was more extensive, and had already booked a plane ticket and a transfer of credits to Tokyo-3. He arrived here an hour ago, to find a city that didn't have any buildings higher than ten stories, was virtually abandoned, and inhabited primarily by a lime green monster that shot lasers out of its bird face.

Another scream, womanly, girly. His own. She hasn't screamed once. He knows she hasn't. In the two years since his father introduced her to him, he hasn't known her to show fear. Which of course made it a perfect idea for her to pick him up and drive him to the base.

The pale girl with blue hair, red eyes, and an expressionless face slightly adjusts the rear view mirror to see the three toed green foot stomping down behind them.

"Hold on,she says, "I'm going to lose it."

"I already have," he squeaks.

She sniffs, narrowing her eyes and glancing at him.

Spinning the wheel, the blue alpine renault, leant to her by her superior, squeals as it turns around, shifting gears and accelerating. Opening his eyes, Shinji Ikari, twenty year old College Sophomore and dead man, chokes on his own screams as he realizes Rei has turned the car around and is now accelerating towards the giant monster. Calmly, he reaches out and tugs on her blouse sleeve, the young woman not responding as she floors the gas pedal and swerves, the hand of the creature slamming into their previous position, drifting the car between the monster's legs and slamming the horn as the thing grabs at it with its other hand.

Spinning the wheel, her face expressionless and serene, she sends the car into a donut turn around one of its feet, the creature grabbing at them, hitting itself in the foot, and beginning to shake as Rei straightens the car out and drives away.

In the side view mirror, Shinji watches as the creature loses its footing and collapses, a mass of arms and legs waving in the air like a drunken turtle as it sends smoke and pulverized concrete into the air.

"This is the First Child," Rei says, flipping open a cell phone with a red fig leaf emblazoned on it, "I have the Third. Heading towards the base."

Shinji is wisely silent for the rest of the trip.

* * *

**Neon Genesis Evangelion AU:**

**Your Happy Years**

**

* * *

**

"We sent Rei to pick him up. I seriously love the ideas we come up with, here."

Heels clicking as she walks down the hallways of NERV, the raven haired woman taps the flashing screen of the PDA, muttering to herself as the map comes up. Unfortunately for her, the map comes up in Spanish, a language she does not know, she she is lost once more.

"Stupid pieces of high tech crap..."

"_Sub Commander Katsuragi to Project E labs-"_

"I'm trying! I'm not the one who made this place the God damned **Labyrinth!"**

"Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity, Katsuragi."

She whirls, biting her lip and groaning as she spies the blonde woman in the wetsuit and glasses.

"Yeah, and so's murdering your old college room mate, Ritz," Misato mutters, tossing the PDA over her shoulder, "C'mon, lead the way. What's the ETA on the Third Child?"

"Third Child is present and accounted for."

Ritsuko Akagi, bleached blonde chairwoman of Project E, starts and suppresses the scream, turning on her heel to find the albino woman standing behind her, a panting, sweating young man hunched over next to her. Raising a hand, Shinji makes a sound not strictly classifiable as human before collapsing to his knees.

"Let Rei drive, you said," Misato scowls, "He knows her, you said."

"Oh, he's alive. He just needs to sit in the plug and he'll be fine."

"Rei," Misato sighs, turning to the girl, "Did you trip the Angel?"

"I left the tensile steel cable in my apartment," Rei Ayanami responds, her face otherwise expressionless, "I was required to stunt drive to confuse the Angel. Otherwise the Third Child would not be in the state he is in."

Boots on the steel floor, the lights in the distance in the hallway flickering on. One of these days, Misato realizes, he's going to go all the way and have disco music play on the speakers whenever he enters the room. It is a heavy burden, realizing the man you work for is completely insane, albeit insane in the fun sort of way. Unfortunately, said man is also responsible for saving the world.

"Good. He's here."

Shinji looks up. The man is sporting some gray, giving him a more defined look. His beard is more trimmed, a full beard instead of the creepy muttonchops gone wild that he had when he was a teenager.

The amber glasses are still there, so is the black uniform he always wears, although at least he isn't wearing that god damned turtleneck today.

"F-father?" Shinji stammers.

Gendo Ikari, Supreme Commander of NERV, thrusts his hands into his pockets and stares at his son. Calmly, he directs his gaze at Rei, who gives off a faint, knowing smile.

"You're needed," Gendo says.

"Let me guess," Shinji groans, slowly standing up, "I'm piloting one of your giant robots?"

"Correct. You've gone over your mother's notes. Good. Any questions?"

Shinji nods.

"Are you _fucking insane?"_

They pause. Gendo raises an eyebrow.

"He's got a point," Misato says, "Sohryu Doctrine for Evangelion engagement kind of suggests we need him trained. He knows about the Evas, but we never put him in a plug."

"Unfortunately, Unit 01 is combat ready," Rei responds, "Unit 00, while operation ready, is an inferior model until new parts arrive."

"We don't have time," Ritsuko says, hands in the air, "Look, we can just have Shinji sit in the plug, and it'll do the rest! We train him when it's over!"

"That's _fucking retarded,"_ Shinji yells back, turning from Akagi to his father, "I'm not trained! I got beaten up in school every day until I graduated! You want to put me in a giant robot and have it step on me, _why?"_

"We have no other choice."

Slapping his hand over his face, Shinji lets out a litany of curses. Rei watches, taking in the new, filthy words for future reference.

"I knew it," Shinji moans, "You're trying to kill me, aren't you? This is all an elaborate revenge for when I told you off nine years ago, isn't it?"

"In part."

"You're not even hiding it! This is one of your half-assed ideas for us bonding! Just like two years ago when you kidnapped me in the middle of the night, took me camping and you had me fight off a bear! I don't know what Mother wants, Dad, but I'm pretty sure she doesn't want me to get eaten by a giant green _Space Alie-_"

The tranquilizer dart hits him in the arm. Shinji's gaze turns from the dart to his father, who holsters the tranq gun and watches as Shinji's eyes roll up and he collapses to the floor.

"Rei. You will pilot Unit 00."

Rei salutes, clicking her heels.

"Sir."

"Katsuragi, take Shinji to the alternative," Gendo says, turning on his heel, "Let's begin the operation."

He turns and walks out, following by Akagi and Rei. Sighing, Misato leans down, tossing the sleeping Shinji's arm over her shoulder. This is really not the sort of work a Sub Commander should be doing.

"I'm really not paid enough for this..."

* * *

...

* * *

"_...Sohryu Doctrine states that when engaging an AT-Field to use..."_

A groan, stirring in the darkness. Has he even opened his eyes? Wherever he is, it's pitch black. And there was some voice in his head, a woman's voice. Kind of cute, to.

"_...Engaging the Angel! Unit 00 has deployed Progressive Sword!"_

Unit 00...oh, right. He remembers that, when Dad gave him the tour of NERV four years ago for his sixteenth birthday. Showed him 01, 00, the plans for the others. How many robots do they have here again? Five?

"_...Negative contact! Angel has damaged the armor! Reading contamination feedback in..."_

Well, that sounds bad. Huh. Rei is fighting the Angel, isn't she? How bad can that be? He knows Rei somewhat. She is kind of cute. Nice ass, at least. But she's a hardened veteran of these sorts of things, right?

"_...to back up plan. Synchro start!"_

The lights turn on. Sitting in the seat, Shinji stops breathing for a moment as he realizes he not only was sleeping while sitting, but sitting in a fluid filled capsule. The walls around him turn transparent, showing green walls as far as the eye can see, the purple and green shoulder strips on either side. For a moment, his mind expands outward, a set of screens appearing over his eyes showing it from different angles, the purple and green giant.

"_Synchronization at 43%! Evangelion Shogoki has activated!"_

They knocked him out and put him _in_ it, didn't they?

"Dad, I'm going to _kill_ you-"

"_EVA LAUNCH!"_

_

* * *

_

...

* * *

The speakers cut in midway through the tube, green armor plates retracting as the rails rise above the deserted city. Sparks flying off the carriage, speeding off along electrified rails, the speakers of the massive war machine transmit a profanity laden scream for all in the above ground Tokyo-3 region to hear.

"..._fucking kidding me! You are fucking kidding me! You honestly think this is a good God damned plan? Are you out of your MIND?"_

The platformed desk rises amid the blue metal pillar. Sitting at the desk, white gloved hands folded in front of his face, Gendo Ikari winces internally. Maybe not the best plan, he thinks, but certainly a workable one if his theories are correct. He has waited years for this chance, after all.

"Pilot synch stabilized," the short haired young woman at one of the three main consoles says, tapping the keys as data changes on the massive, floating holographic screen hovering in front of the raised platform of Central Dogma, "Shogoki has reached the surface! Accessing Entry Plug cameras!"

The screen beside the main diagnostic display flickers. Shinji's face appears, mid scream.

"_-and stomp you until you can be FUCKING MAILED! Are you INSANE?"_

"Calm down, pilot," Misato says, folding her arms, her gray uniform already showing signs of wrinkles from being worn way too many days in a row, "Just work with the plan and we'll be fine."

"_Fine? Your plan had me drugged and tossed into a giant robot! This ISN'T A PLAN! This is a BAD IDEA!"_

"You'll be fine," Misato explains, "Just do what we tell you to and you'll be fine."

"_Miss Katsuragi, in all honesty I'm not a kid. I know bullshit when I hear it, and that requires a steam shovel. If a girl who's trained to do this since you grew her in a fucking test tube had trouble with that, how exactly is the Commander's son, who proudly states for the record that he cries like a girl when he has to get his tooth drilled, going to do any better?"_

Misato turns towards the command deck. Gendo shrugs.

"Okay," she sighs, "Do you have...well, we need you to pilot. Seriously. I'm Sub Commander of NERV, after all. Anything I can do to reassure you?"

"_So we're negotiating NOW?"_

"Yep."

"_Okay, fine. Here's what I want-"_

"Angel is approaching Shogoki!"

Shinji turns to his side, eyes snapping wide open before the screen blinks out. Locks release around the purple giant, the Evangelion dropping from the lift and onto its stomach just as the bright pink blast flies right by where it was, ripping into the raised elevator carriage.

"Crap," Shinji mutters, gripping the controls, "Crap crap crap crap crap crap crap!"

Climbing onto its hands and knees, 200' and 15,000 tons of metal, sinew, and pure raw power crawl behind a block of apartment buildings, flattening its back against them. In the Entry Plug, Shinji glances from side to side, Shogoki responding in kind.

"Oh God," he whispers, reaching into his pocket and yanking out a soggy, brown paper back, "Oh God. Oh God."

Closing his hand into a fist around it, he breathes into it, suppressing his hyperventilation as he closes his eyes, leaning back against the chair.

"Did he see me?"

Shogoki rises, peaking its head above the apartment building. The lime green giant is gone. Turning, the Evangelion stands up, turns, and walks straight into the Angel. Sachiel, Angel of Water, twists its bird skull shaped head in confusion, reaching out with one hand to grasp the creature before it.

Inside the Entry Plug, Shinji screams. A single thought reaches out. Thought becomes action.

And Shogoki grabs Sachiel by the shoulder and brings its knee up between the Angels legs.

* * *

...

* * *

"Ooo, that'll leave a mark."

One of the bridge bunnies chokes, the other holding his hands between his legs as Shogoki drops the Angel and turns to run.

"Shinji! Finish off the Angel!"

"_Let me get some distance, first! Doesn't this thing have guns?"_

"No."

"_What kind of giant robot doesn't have GUNS?"_

"Budget."

Akagi and Misato turn to the Commander's station.

"What," Misato says. Not asks, says.

"Budget," Ikari states coldly, "I put in several requests for modular weapons components ranging from rail guns to full autocannons, but _someone_ kept flipping me off."

"_AAAAAAHHHH! IT'S GOT MY CORD!"_

"Maya, why did we field the Evangelion without the N2 battery pack?" Misato asks.

"They arrive next Tuesday," the short haired woman chimes in, "Pilot respiration and pulse rising!"

They watch as the Angel reels in the Evangelion, winding the power cord around its three fingered hand, a slow alien moan escaping the vents on its side as it brings the Evangelion closer and closer over Shinji's panicked screams.

* * *

...

* * *

Reaching out, it wraps its hand around Shogoki's head. Lifting it up, the gem at the center of the palm begins to glow. At his seat on the bridge, Gendo Ikari grins. _Here we go,_ he thinks.

And in the Entry Plug, Shinji's eyes go wide. Time seems to slow. When he reconnected with his father four years ago, Dad let him look at Mom's notes. He saw how the Evas work. Synchronization, sympathetic pain. That blast is going to go right into the Eva's eye. He's going to feel it like a railroad spike driven into his skull.

The rod drives back, a solid line of pink energy blasting outwards from the creature's elbow. There's a warmth in Shinji's pants running down his leg, a slow, steady scream escaping his throat as his knuckles go white on the controls.

And a purple and green fist slams into Sachiel's face.

The hand goes slack. Shogoki drops, knees bent as the Angel stumbles back, cracks forming across the skull face. Ducking under the wild, stray blast, the Eva rises up again, arms wrapping around the Angel and picking it up, the pilot roaring profanities as both are carried across the city, massive footprints left in the concrete as the wire trips it up, riding the Angel down into the ground.

The fist comes up and down, shattering the skull face, the other hand grabbing the Angel's arm as it rises up and yanking it back, the blast flying wild into the sky before Shogoki slams its heel into the joint and rips the arm off.

The other hand comes up, blast charging and releasing into the underside of Shogoki's jaw, ripping through the armor and tossing the Evangelion off. Slowly, blue liquid leaking out of the side of its mangled joint, Sachiel rises. Lurching forward, a new face already growing through the hole left in the old, the Third Angel shambles forth, holding its remaining hand outward.

His jaw feels like its on fire. He feels like he just had every tooth blasted out with a blowtorch.

His thoughts swim as the Angel looms over him, its growl a whisper between his ears.

Wait. Is that the Angel's growl?

"_Shinji,"_ Rei says, "_The red gem at the center of the Angel's chest is the Core. You must destroy the Core to kill the Angel. Do you understand?"_

He groans an affirmative.

The Angel looms over him. It reaches out, its skull face reformed, glowing with inner fire. It pauses, staring at him. Wondering what last resistance this annoyance has. Which is when the back jets built into the jet stripes fire and the Evangelion lurches forward. The Angel has only a moment to realize what has happened. But too late.

The spike on the Eva's snout goes in first, the crystalline red material cracking as the purple metal enters the solenoid. The Angel lurches back, as the Eva rises, the eyes glowing a steady white as the light begins to flicker in Sachiel's eyes.

Knuckles crack, metal grinding against metal, and with a roar blasting through its speakers, Shogoki brings all its weight to bear in a punch directly into the Third Angel's core. The Core shatters, raining down red crystal like snowfall, continuing through the chest and out between the Angel's shoulders.

A final squeal, the light leaving its eyes, and the form of the Third Angel turns gray and white, cracking along its edges as Angelic material falls along like dead leaves.

And with a final cry, its form shatters.

* * *

...

* * *

The doors to the mausoleum open. Well, at least that is what it is called. It is an office, in fact, with a glowing Tree of Sephirot engraved in the ceiling, casting the only light in the room. Her plugsuit changed for a white blouse and black pants, Rei Ayanami enters, her eyes already adjusted to the dim light, centered on the figure at the half moon desk at the far end.

"Rei."

"Yes, Commander," she responds.

"Now that the Third Angel is destroyed, our original scenario is resuming," he says, "I will be in contact with Professor Fuyutsuki. You will keep an eye on Shinji. Make sure he does not break. He knows more than the scenario originally allowed."

She nods. A small grin on her face in the darkness.

"Understood. He will not break."

A pause from the Commander.

"There are limits to what you are allowed to do with him, Rei," he says, "If he were injured when you picked him up, or from your stunt, we would have been in trouble."

"Of course," she says, internally pouting, "Will I be training him?"

"You and Suzuhara," Gendo responds, "Be careful with him. His relationship with me makes him more likely to question orders."

She nods.

"Understood," she says, "I will be at my apartment if needed, Commander."

She salutes, sharply, and walks out. Leaning back in his chair as the door closes, Gendo Ikari allows himself a smile, pulling off his right glove and staring at the scar traced across his palm. The skin still twitches, and did so when the Angel shows up. Residual cells, nothing more.

Tapping open a console, he types in the code, the hidden compartment of his desk opening.

The unblinking eye stares back at him.

"Soon."

* * *

...

* * *

"_...following the destruction of the creature designated by UN Special Taskforce NERV as "ANGEL", the German and Austrian representatives at the UN once again raised a motion for the extradition of Pilot Sohryu to be tried for what has been known as the Berlin Massacre in 2016. The motion was vetoed by Russia, stating that her forced exile from Germany was still considered acceptable punishment."_

The television clicks off. Bleary eyed, sitting on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table, Shinji blinks at the clock over the television and swears to himself. Well, he thinks, at least he's not in that situation. Rubbing his eyes, he still remembers seeing those reports when he visited Dad at NERV. The flareup in Europe, the first live combat of that red Evangelion.

A girl his age being tried at the Hague.

Muttering to himself, he picks himself up off the couch and walks into the kitchen. They gave him his own apartment, right next door to the Sub Commander's. Just in case he needs someone to talk to. He might get a room mate, might not. They're not sure yet.

What he is sure of is that his Dad decided to spin this into an 'opportunity.' As of this afternoon, he is an employee of NERV. Some benefits. His student loans are paid off, he has a salary, and of course, he pilots the giant robot that ate Mom.

Sighing, he stares at the empty sink. Nothing to do, really. He goes to register for classes tomorrow, heads to Tokyo-3 Community College to get started. Of course, this means his Dad's going to involve himself in his life. When he was 14, that would have been a godsend.

Now, notsomuch.

He throughly believes Gendo Ikari is completely insane. Especially when, on his seventeenth birthday, he took him aside and explained things to him. What he believed happened to his mother, why he abandoned him with his uncle. Everything he kept from him. What the blue haired girl was.

He thought his father was crazy. Then, Dad took him to the basement of NERV, a place called Terminal Dogma.

Well, that was that.

Sighing, he pinches his nose, grabbing a soda from his fridge and walking out of the kitchen. He needs some sleep. He needs to sleep for a _week_ and it's almost midnight. Sighing, he walks over to the bathroom, the single small tiled room, the shower head built into the wall for efficiency. No bath here, although Katsuragi has one. He did hear weird...sounds from inside. Like squawking.

He didn't want to ask. But that's another story.

Reaching into the medicine cabinet, he takes how his toothbrush and toothpaste, layering on the bristles and shoving the thing in his mouth. With his free hand, he closes the mirrored door and stares at his reflection.

Except, it's sort of his. And not. The hair is a bit longer, the eyes more blue. And the gender is wrong.

"_Shinji? Oh, thank God. What kept you?"_

Shinji stares. He looks down, confirming that his chest is not, in fact, home to a pair of very ample breasts.

"_Right. Well. It's been...mm...sixteen years, right? You're a little overdue. So I hitched a ride out of the Core. Any questions?"_

His response is, quite understandably, panicked screaming.


	2. Welcome to Tokyo3

In 2016, information about a worldwide conspiracy referred to as SEELE and its role in Second Impact was leaked to the media. Either because of NERV's connection to SEELE, or perhaps as retaliation by SEELE, the European Union deployed a joint German and Austrian task force to seize control of NERV-2, located in Berlin.

It was a massacre.

NERV personnel at the time did not receive more than cursory firearms and tactics training. Against an army, they were cut down and forced to seal off the base. Following three days of the siege, during which hundreds of casualties mounted on both sides, a plan was hatched. Break through the EU lines and escape to France or Poland. To do so, the single most powerful thing in their arsenal was to be deployed. Something they held back out of fear of collateral damage.

Like a red giant, the Devil given physical form, Evangelion Unit 02, Zweigoki, was unleashed.

The result was called the Berlin Massacre. Conventional armed forces were no match for the biomechanical giant and its ability to project a wall of impenetrable force. Its opening act was to grab a VTOL aircraft firing at the hangar and swing it like a bat into another one. As much firepower as they could bring to bare, none were enough to counter it.

It was like someone deployed God. It was unstoppable, merciless, a beast of legend.

Unedited audio of the battle released in 2018 revealed the voice of a fifteen year old girl, crying for them to stop.

The battle ended when the EU dropped six N2 mines on the base, wiping out it and much of Berlin. There were a handful of survivors. One of them, the Special Inspector to the UN, was given the order of summary execution. He refused, on the grounds that the pilot was a minor. There are unconfirmed reports that Agent Kaji Ryoji escaped to Bethany Island in the Black Sea. It is on paper than Asuka Langely Sohryu was given asylum by Russia.

No one has seen either since. In the two years between the battle and the release of the tapes, the UN passed a declaration that use of an Evangelion outside of an Angel was a War Crime. Sohryu became the most hated person in the word. Following the release of the tapes, she became the propped up symbol for many charities about the plight of the Impact orphans.

Rei, on the other hand, did meet her.

She spent a year in an institution at Bethany, screaming in a padded cell. Katsuragi made sure she received therapy. The Commander believes she is as far gone as her mother and is seeking a method to die as spectacularly, and perhaps in a redeemable manner, as possible.

Kicking against the floor, Rei holds onto the ladder as it skims along the rails, making a near complete circumference of her tile floor apartment before stopping at the section of the library she has converted her wall into that she wants. Tapping the spines of the books, she retracts a leather bound, first edition hardcover, gold lettering etched on it. A religious tome, to put things in perspective.

Tossing it onto the bed with the other six books, she hops on, sitting cross legged on the sheets and reaching for her first selection, a science fiction novel.

And Rei Ayanami begins her nightly reading.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Welcome to Tokyo-3**

**

* * *

**

The basic problem with putting people into a situation they all know will be unpleasant is that eventually, that unpleasantness reaches a critical mass. This is one such situation. The clicking camera light isn't doing much to improve his mood, much with the mind screw last night was. After he stopped screaming and bolted the bathroom door shut, he managed to crawl back into his bedroom. Problem is, there was a mirror there, and she still wanted to talk.

The mirror was turned around.

He didn't get much sleep, partially from him being freaked out, partially from her muffled demands that he turn that mirror around and listen to what she has to say, _young man._

He would say he's going crazy, but when your benchmark of insanity is Gendo Ikari, anything less than table dancing with a polar bear is perfectly sane.

"So," the bespectacled, fair haired man with the video camera says, in some sort of bizarre cross of a suit and a beige NERV uniform, "We're here with Pilot Ikari, the young man who piloted Evangelion Shogoki to defeat the Angel in a knock-down, drag-out brawl last night! What do you have to say for your fans, Pilot?"

"I was drugged by my father and stuffed into an Entry Plug," Shinji responds, rolling his eyes, "Then tossed at the Angel. It wasn't exactly my choice."

The man sighs, lowering the camera.

"Not exactly a heroic story, man."

"I'm not exactly heroic," Shinji sighs, scratching the back of his head.

He didn't make it more than five steps onto the campus of Tokyo-3 Community College before being ambushed like this. It seems his father leaked his identity to the student population, but in fact it was more a 2+2 thing. Everyone knew he was the son of the Commander, and that meant it was more than likely the Commander had him pilot, with the Commander being who he is. This guy was the first to get his attention long enough to stick the camera in his face.

"Kensuke Aida," the young man says, extending a hand, "I'm training in NERV to take over for Lieutenant Colonel Ibuki, now that she's heading up Medical."

"Okay," Shinji says, shaking the hand, "How much do you know about NERV?"

"Enough to blackmail him on."

They two turn. White blouse, gray sweater vest and a black, knee length skirt, her glasses resting on her nose and her face otherwise expressionless, Shinji wonders exactly how an albino has this ability to sneak up on people. Kensuke, on the other hand, is grinning.

"Rei," Shinji says, "What did you-"

"Mr. Aida," Rei explains, "Has a habit of trying to hack the MAGI mainframes. He works for NERV because we believe we can use his talents. You should know better than to harass pilots, Aida."

"You didn't mind the harassment yourself, Ayanami."

"I had a use for you," Rei responds, folding her arms, "Shinji does not. If you continue to pursue him if he does not wish you to, I will be forced to take action."

Kensuke grins, ear to ear. He calmly pushes up his glasses, staring down the girl.

"In all honesty, Ayanami, this is the first guy to kill an Angel," he responds, "And not use an Eva for leveling a city. You'd have to chase me down and tie me to a chair to keep me away from this story."  
Rei raises an eyebrow. Shinji could swear there was a bit of...red...to her cheeks.

"Kinky," she says, the tone sending chills down Shinji's spine.

Which is all the incentive, Shinji needs to break away, walking further into the campus. He saw that, didn't he? He just saw Rei _flirt_ with that Aida kid, right? It's not just that Rei is profoundly, incredibly creepy, giving off an air that could be summed up as "All sorts of sexy, sexy wrong," it was that she just didn't seem interested in anything.

Except she looked interested there.

He really doesn't want to ask those sorts of questions.

Of course, he has other questions, now. Because right now his path is blocked by the largest japanese man he's ever seen, a behemoth of a guy with spikey black hair, sharp, piercing eyes, and a black and green plug suit which thankfully, is not tight in all the wrong places.

"Buh?" Shinji asks.

"Touji Suzuhara," he responds, "You and me need to have a _chat."_

_

* * *

_

...

* * *

"Well, that went well. As in, we're not all dead."

There is a bar half a mile from one of the less used Geofront entrances. It is not a very well known one, relatively seedy and serving the strongest alcohol legal in the Fortress City limits. That is the main appeal of this place, as the two patrons in the dank corner of the bar have some of the highest alcoholic tolerances of the population of 1.5 million.

Kozou Fuyutsuki, retired Sub Commander of NERV, slams back another shot of vodka, pounding his chest and coughing as Gendo Ikari drains his own glass with almost serene grace and ease.

"You're getting old," Gendo says.

"So are you. Probably why you have the beard instead of the pedophile frame you used to have," Fuyutsuki responds, "So, let me get this straight. _Shinji_ killed the Angel by himself?"

Gendo nods.

"Well, mazel tov," Kozou grins, "Your boy finally grew a pair. Of course, putting him in the thought controlled biological stomp bot after drugging him was probably not the best thought out plan. At least he isn't afraid of you, anymore."

"Which is the problem, because he doesn't strictly respect me, either," Gendo says, and sighs, "This is taking longer than we expected. First the utter disaster in Berlin, now this."

Kozou shrugs, pouring himself another glass.

"We adapted admirably," he responds, "At very least the Old Men are out of power. I'm just glad you had the self control to not urinate on Kihl's grave."

* * *

...

* * *

Checking her PDA for the time and the appointment with the new student, she adjusts her glasses and turns the corner, humming to herself as she shifts tracks on the PDA's MP3 player function. She dressed sharply today, in the gray dress suit, black blouse, her normal pigtails pulled into a braid going past her shoulders. She does know the appointment is with the new pilot who is also the Commander's son, so Ms. Horaki does know that first impressions are important.

"..._Then where the Hell WERE YOU!"_

Of course, she didn't expect to find him in a screaming match with her fiance.

"I was on vacation, _jackass!"_

"Great! I nearly get my head ripped off by the giant monster while you go surfing! Your dedication inspires me!"

Touji, a good head taller than the other guy, jabs his finger into his chest. For some reason, he showed up in his Plug Suit. She doesn't know why, pinching the bridge of her nose, and doesn't really care at this point.

"Yeah, and your half assed job makes me _really_ think you don't need training," Touji growls, "I have seen a lot of things, kid, but I've never seen someone make their Evangelion _hide._ I don't know what went through the Commander's head when he gave you Shogoki, jackass, but I am going to whip you into shape if it kills you!"

"My Dad is fucking insane, pal. That was his plan, not mine. And right now, I've got more Angel kills than you."

Hikari clears her throat. The two turn.

"Babe?" Touji asks.

"Babe," Shinji responds.

Touji turns, glaring at him, Shinji stepping back.

"What?"

"Did you just hit on my fiance?"

"You said 'Babe.' I thought it was a question. You know, like rating her."

"Oh, just whip it out and measure, already!" she screams, tapping off her PDA and scratching the screen with a curse, "Great. Beautiful. Ikari?"

He nods.

"Come with me. I'm Hikari Horaki, your student advisor. Touji, go change into something that doesn't hug your ass."

Touji shifts in place, nodding, as Hikari walks out and grabs Shinji by the wrist and drags him away. With a snort, he watches her go, turning and walking towards the campus gym.

"...better not be hitting on my girl..."

* * *

...

* * *

A click and the lights turn on, revealing a domed room lined with a gold grid. Following the whole thing with SEELE, or more particular its utter dissolution, NERV adapted the holograph technology they employed for their meetings to their own means. There are a total of eight official NERV bases. Simple phone conversations are only so easy. This is more thorough.

"_Connecting to NERV-Bethany, Connection established."_

The image materializes, forming slowly, steadily, into a man going into middle age. His ponytail is showing signs of gray. He has a bit of a paunch now, to. If the reports are true, it's probably from the drinking, but not anywhere as bad as hers. Helps him cope. Helps _her_ cope.

"Katsuragi," Kaji Ryoji says, lips twisting in the same, roguish smile she knows so well, "To what do I owe the honor of gazing upon you?"

"Cut the sweet talk, flatterer," she responds, grinning despite herself, "You know why I'm calling. It's not for a booty call."

"Holographic technology has, sadly, not reached that point anyway."

"Yeah, yeah. How is she?"

His face turns solemn. The grin disappears.

"Not as good as I hoped," he says, arms folding, "Today's her dad's birthday."

"Christ."

"Yeah. Angel has a great sense of timing, I know. Anyway, she's not her best. But give her a day and she'll have full operational analysis of your pilot. He really the Commander's son?"

"As much as Shinji tries to deny the fact, yes. I must say, I'm glad he's not as...eccentric...as his father. He might be easier to work with, if he ever gets over us drugging him to put him in the Eva."

"Glad to see six years don't change a man that much. Yeah, she's been better. Like I said, though, give her a day or two."

She nods. He does in return, stepping back as the image begins to pixelate.

"Be seeing you."

* * *

...

* * *

The problem was a very simple one. The moment his mind honed in on it, even as it was protesting from the mild hangover, he began formulating a solution. One which, hopefully, would work better than the rest of his attempts at fixing things between him and his son.

Gendo Ikari has admitted he is a shitty father. He admits that well, with gusto. No one could possibly screw up fatherhood with the regularity and enthusiasm he has, but he has managed, partially due to the fact that his son is a stronger will than he gives himself credit for.

He didn't relish the thought of shoving Shinji into Shogoki and making him fight the Angel...

No, that would be lying. He actually did enjoy it. Shinji has a habit of disrespecting him. He earned it.

Part of him is chomping at the bit to toss Shinji at another god like horror and see what happens. He was disappointed that Shinji killed the Angel himself. He was expecting Shogoki to go berserk, but he can live without the collateral damage. For now.

"What is it?"

He glances to his side. Which one is she?

Right. One of the back up Bridge Bunnies. Aoi, he thinks her name is. Glasses, short cut hair. Nice ass.

Possibly a lesbian.

He's still got it. Except that now she's cuddling, and he honestly can't remember how he ended up in _her_ bed, naked, with her. Well, it wouldn't be the first time. Not with her, it is. But it wouldn't be the first time he ended up in bed with a female staffer at NERV.

Good. She's sleeping.

Flipping out his PDA, he switches over to the channel he has set to piggyback security cameras to watch Shinji.

* * *

...

* * *

"Honestly, I think my father's insane. Sometimes in a good way, but a lot of times in a very bad sort of crazy way. He doesn't think...no. No, he thinks these things through but I can't see how any of the ideas he has can possibly end well."

Sitting across from her in the corner office of the main administrative building, he lets off a long kept in breath. Most everyone else he knows in this city treats his father reverently. A couple of years ago, he tried to rant about his Dad to Rei. Rei put him in a chokehold until he passed out. His father's a hero to many people. That this person is neutral towards him, well, at least gives him someone to vent to.

"I'm never really met the Commander," Hikari says, pen still hovering over the admission forms, the simple laminar table between them, "Touji has. I'm not cleared to go to the Eva cages. He has a high opinion of him, but probably because the Commander gives him a good amount of leeway."

"How long has he piloted?"

"Six years."

He mutters a swear, rubbing his temples.

"Great. And he's going to train me."

She reaches out, patting his shoulder. A warm smile crosses her features, the faint remnants of childhood freckles around her nose and cheeks.

"Don't worry," she says, "He looks like he's a jerk, but he's really just serious about what he does. He took the job of a pilot so he could protect people, and he sees that if you're going to be a pilot, he has to make sure you're as good as him."

"She's got a point. That's why I asked her to marry me."

The two turn. He sees the plug suit still under his beige NERV officer's uniform, mainly in the collar peaking up over the jacket and the weird way the shoulders set. He coughs, cracking his knuckles, glancing between Hikari and Shinji.

"A'right," Touji says, "We got off on the wrong foot. I've gotta train ya so you don't screw up when an Angel arrives, okay?"

"Does this mean I'll have backup next time?" Shinji asks, glancing between the two.

Touji nods, raising his hand.

"Pilot's honor, Ikari," he says, "You pull your weight, I pull mine. Unless somethin' happens to either of us, you ain't fighting the next Angel alone. Got it?"

Shinji sighs, nodding. Reaching out, he takes Touji's extended hand and shakes it.

"Good enough for me."

* * *

...

* * *

Knocking on the door, Kaji leans against it, the door opening with a slight creak. The television is still playing, its volume lowered. Looking down as he enters, he spots the living room of the small apartment next to his. He spots the beer cans on the table, counting around seven more than when he left for the meeting with Bethany Administration.

Walking in, he pulls the keys out of the door, where she left them, and places them on the key ring next to the half wall mirror at the entrance. Slipping off his shoes, partially out of habit and partially so he doesn't wake her, he enters the apartment and sighs when he sees her on the couch. Curled into a ball, hands curled into fists.

Her red hair is partially matted, falling over her face. Now, of all times, she actually looks peaceful. Then he sees the twitch around her eyes, the stupor she puts herself into giving way to actual dreams and memories.

He places his hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle, firm shake. Blue, bloodshot eyes open. He can see bags under her eyes. The sleep gets worse around the anniversary.

"Hey," he says.

"Hey," she croaks back, "Wh...time is it?"

"Late enough," he says, "Get to bed."

She sits up, shakily. Bare feet on the carpet, she tries to stand, thinking better of it before reaching behind the couch pillows and pulling out a remote.

"Cant," she slurrs, "Gotta...Katsuragi needs an analysis..."

"She'll need it in a couple days," Kaji says, rubbing her shoulders, "You do it now, you'll miss something. Get some rest. Clear your head. The videos will still be there tomorrow, okay?"

She stares at the screen. Long and hard, her fingers trembling on the remote. Finally, she hands it to him, Kaji smiling as he helps her stand. She leans on him, like she has for the last five years, letting him walk her to her bedroom.

None of the childish flirtations during the old days. She values him more, now. Needs him more than she ever did.

The lights flicker on. He grimaces. Needs to have the cleaning staff come in here tomorrow. Walking her to the bed, he lays her on her side, so if she does throw up she doesn't choke. She's asleep when she hits the pillow, a small moan when he pulls the covers over her.

"Sleep tight, Asuka," he says, pressing his lips on her forehead, "You earned it."

He clicks the lights off as he leaves.

* * *

...

* * *

Two feet scrape along the gray dirt, the sand compacting into show prints. He likes these sneakers very much. He finds them comfortable, even in this environment. Given, it is the Light of His Soul which allows him to walk freely here, but the little comforts he took from home are still essential. It was not an easy decision to make, leaving like he did. He did owe that man much.

But, if he was to be Free Will, he could not be so easily shackled.

The pale boy with ash hair hum to himself, the only sound in this forbidden environment. It is a sound, a song, heard only by him. Another hill on his daily walk, and he sighs, extending a hand out and up. A mound of the gray sand rises, forming into a stool.

Silently, he walks over, and sits down.

Red eyes peer up, over the horizon, and stares down upon Earth.

"So," he says, "You wish to go now, Brother?"

A smile. Warm and inviting, turning to the great behemoth rising.

"Go, then. It is your choice. And I redefined this scenario so we all had a choice."

* * *

...

* * *

Wandering back into the mausoleum, he whistles as he walks, black shoes clicking on the metal floor. Sitting on his chair, he clicks the console on with a snap of his fingers, holographic screens showing the location of the three Pilots in Tokyo-3.

Rei is in the campus library. Technically, she has a true photographic memory, and peruses the library for books she has not read or can add to her substantial collection, and also to socialize. And by 'socialize', one would mean 'see how many people she can terrify.' Her personality has developed in ways that honestly trouble him, but he keeps that in line with his Scenario.

Suzuhara is at one of the satellite bases on the surface, rewatching footage of the battle with Sachiel.

Good.

He encourages him to take his responsibilities seriously, and when he explained to him on recruitment that his status as pilot would allow him to protect those close to him, he jumped at the chance. Out of all of the pilots, he is the easiest to work with. He takes his tasks the most seriously, even if he is borderline useless in the Scenario.

He switches to Shinji. A grimace crosses Ikari's face. Still at the campus, signing up for courses. Flirting with Horaki, even if not overt about it. Much like Gendo has almost preternatural luck with women, a glance at his son's romantic history shows the opposite. Mostly, attempts to flirt with him falling over his words and saying something remarkably stupid, but at the current stage he has not yet said such. This is a record for his son.

Unfortunately, said woman is the fiance of one of his other pilots. He will have to keep an eye on this.

* * *

...

* * *

"...just wanted to say, right out, I'm not flirting with you."

Finishing signing the paperwork, he wonders if it is possibly to reach around and kick himself in the face. He has no idea where that came from. From the puzzled look on Hikari's face, neither does she.

"Pardon?"

"No," Shinji says, hands up defensively, "Your fiance was under the impression I was. I wasn't. Not trying to, at least. My Dad has all this luck with women, and I think he probably expects me to be like him, but all the women I meet fall into four categories: Related, attached, insane, or lesbians. You fall into the second category, and everyone else I meet falls into the others."

She smirks. He grimaces, scratching his head.

"Well, at least you're honest," she sighs, taking the pen from his hand, "Okay, so your classes start tomorrow, assuming another giant monster doesn't stomp through the city."

He nods, standing up. She does, as well, smoothing out her skirt.

"A pleasure meeting you, Mr. Ikari. Welcome to Tokyo-3."

She extends his hand. He shakes it, smiling, before shuffling out. Filing the papers, arranging them and popping open the scanner next to her desk, she smirks.

Well, at least he was honest. She doesn't mind that he wasn't flirting with her. That that she would mind if he did...

* * *

...

* * *

The doors to the mausoleum open. He glances over, doesn't turn off the screens.

"So, with Aoi, I think you've officially slept with every woman at NERV save for Rei and Maya," Misato says, walks across the office and standing in front of the desk, "Rei because, well, she's pretty much your daughter, but I'm not sure about why you haven't gotten your charms to work on Maya, yet."

"Not for lack of effort on my part," Gendo responds, attention turning to the screen with Rei as the class ends and she exits, "It is a puzzle."

"You are aware Maya doesn't bat for your team."

"I've seduced lesbians before," Gendo responds, "Sub Commander, increase surveillance on Horaki. I think Shinji might be interested in her, and if he is it could cause friction between him and Suzuhara. Has Project E returned results on the Angel autopsy?"

"They said they'd have major results by tomorrow, but everything's in line with your theory," Misato says, and sighs, "Seriously, Commander. Is there a reason you've made it your calling to get as much tail as possible?"

"You didn't complain when you slept with me."

"Yes, but we were also completely hammered," Misato says, folding her arms, "You're easily the most eccentric commanding officer I've had."

"Very generous," Gendo says, zooming in on the screen for Shinji, "Shinji thinks I'm fucking insane."

The lights turn red. Alarms blare.

"_All systems alert! Angel detected!"_

"Great," Misato deadpans, "Makoto! Status!"

"_Early warning satellite systems have detected an Angel,"_ Hyuga Makoto's voice booms over the speakers, Gendo rising from his desk, "_MAGI has calculated trajectory!"_

"ETA to time of arrival in NERV?" Gendo asks, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"_Commander, the MAGI predicts the Angel is not heading towards NERV! It's heading towards Bethany Island!"_

_

* * *

_

...

* * *

Rei showed up first. No one knew how she managed to get from the campus to Central Dogma that fast, but it was presumed there was an access port to the Geofront on the campus. Nonetheless, she is the first on the bridge, standing behind the glasses wearing operations Lieutenant as the Big Screen turns to status, pixelating as the multiple satellite angles home in on the descending object.

"Odd," Rei says.

Makoto turns.

"What's odd?"

"The Angel," Rei explains, "The Angel is not the one we were expecting. It seems...off, somehow. Can we get a clearer picture?"

Makoto nods, hands tapping on the keyboard as Misato enters, the platform rising with Ikari at his seat.

"Send a message to Bethany Island," Misato says, "Prepare for a full evacuation. Have Pilot Sohryu prepped and ready for combat in 05."

"Message sent," the long haired lieutenant at the far left of the bridge chimes off, "Satellites have transmitted clear image of the Angel! Putting on screen!"

The screen flashes. A clear image of the Angel appears. Silence hangs over the bridge for a long moment, as the crew takes in the dimensions of the approaching creature.

"Well, fuck."

They turn to Rei. A grimace is on her face, rare for her. If they knew the Angels as she does, they would know why. They would know that the creature approaching Bethany is a being of terrible wrath and power, not slated to appear well into the Angel attacks, or Trials as it is known to her.

They would know that the creature enroute is a being of mass destruction and devastation, a force of nature and power with no peer, even amongst the Angels.

They would know that a base in the middle of the Black Sea, equipped for research and containment, would be completely at this creature's mercy.

"Rei," Misato says, hand on her shoulder, "What is that? Do you know what the Angel is?"

The image sits on the screen. Black tendrils fall from a main body, like the wings of a great Angel of Death. Its form is like a falling leaf, a mass of wings, a Seraphim in its glory descending to the Earth.

Its eyes are recessed deep into the face, a great metal grimace set upon the mound that is the head. The dimensions reading off of the visual analysis tell them it is one and a half times the size of an Evangelion. That the power readings are high, even for an S2 organ.

That this thing dwarfs the Third Angel in terms of power.

"It is the Angel of Might," Rei says, "It is named Zeruel. NERV-Bethany is completely, and utterly, _screwed."_


End file.
